Leadership "Qualities"

Someone once asked me if I'd seen my boss angry before. There are two times that I remember him in a mood, that speak more of his leadership qualities than his anger. After all, everyone gets angry. But not everyone knows how to, or should, lead.

1. A few months after I started here, he called all the senior developers in a room. We had a lot of work to do, and several projects were behind. He took the opportunity to inspire us by berating each person, giving them personal attention as to their problems, and what they were doing wrong. Then he left the room, to allow us to come up with a solution "to make him happy."

2. After my wife found out she had cancer, and then had the nasty blood clot, I had to spend some time at home watching the kids, and at the hospital. The boss called me to the office of his legal beagle, and said that maybe I should consider backing out of my contract, and staying home to watch my wife. What an offer! Take away my job and my benefits, to save him the cost of a contract. Please note that all the time I took was as sick time or vacation - I did not miss any days of work "for free."

I recently read "Atlas Shrugged", which talks a lot about working for people who you cannot believe in. Working in a way that is degrading to yourself, because of what you are allowing to happen, all in the name of a job. A friend of mine just went to a leadership seminar, and it spoke of the same thing, calling it a "shadow mission" - a mission that is mostly along the lines to your goal, but just far enough away to keep you from getting there.

I guess you'll have to wait to see how I write my way out of this one.